[vsnet-chat 731] USNO-A

[aah@nofs.navy.mil]

I've noticed several stars designated on this net in the format:
      USNO 1425.0988332
Which I presume is the 1425 declination zone and a running index into
that zone.  Now this subject has probably been discussed before, and if
so I apologize for bringing it up again, but as far as I know, there is
no guarantee that USNO-A 2.0 or USNO-B will have the same number of
detected objects/zone or will keep the same ordering.  While giving the
star a USNO designation is free advertisement for what is probably the
best stellar catalog currently available, I'm a little concerned that
you are not using a more generic designation.
  I'd suggest something like an IAU naming convention.  For example,
       USNOJ 1438015+293944
would refer to an object from the USNO-A catalog at J2000 coordinates
14:38:01.5 +29:39:44 (that is, to about the nearest arcsec).  This is
a little more cumbersome but might make more sense.
Arne

(these are my personal ramblings, and not necessarily those of my employer)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Arne Henden                               Instruments/software/CCDs
US Naval Observatory Flagstaff Station    Cepheids/photometry/IR
P.O. Box 1149                             http: ftp.nofs.navy.mil  
Flagstaff, AZ 86002-1149                  Voice: (520)779-5132
aah@nofs.navy.mil                         FAX:   (520)774-3626

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